The Hidden (1987)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Hidden (1987) – J. Shoulder

I’d be very surprised if Kyle MacLachlan wasn’t thinking about this film when he played the role of “Dougie” for David Lynch in the final series of Twin Peaks. His role as an FBI agent in The Hidden seems similar in outlook: simple-minded but purposive and relatively affectless. The difference is that Agent Lloyd Gallagher has a secret that he knows better than to share with others, including the Los Angeles cop (Michael Nouri) that he teams up with to track down a whacked-out killer on the loose.  Or more than one killer.  So, it is your typical ‘80s buddy film decked out with car chases and a high body count and at least one visit to a strip joint. But despite all of the clichés, this film gains some points just for its sheer weirdness (there is a sci-fi angle) and, I guess, for the fact that it manages to hold its plot together all the way through.